Confederate
attack on Union left repulsed at the point of a bayonet...Now there are 10,000 Union soldiers
in the battle line, from the Pennsylvania Memorial to just
short of this hill. Those solders are under the command
of a political general from the state of New York by the
name of Daniel Sickles. As soon as Sickles is placed on
the Union left flank in that position, he doesn’t
like it. The reason he doesn’t like it is that he’s
been given the only low ground on the entire Union battle
line to defend, and it’s no fun to defend low ground
in any war. On his own and without orders, he breaks away
from the rest of the Union battle line and advances his
men forward, looking for better positions. Now he’s
putting the entire Union battle line at great risk...

Day

2

Tour

2

Devil’s Den

Fighting
intensifies as combat goes hand to hand amongst the rocks...This is the left flank of Dan Sickles’
line. Remember, he has pushed forward, away from the “fishhook”
line and he anchors his left flank in these rocks. He has
about 1,500 Union soldiers in these rocks, on top of these
rocks, and down along the ridgeline to our right. This ridgeline
exits into a place called The Wheatfield, well to our right.
Sickles has four cannons up here, as well. It’s a
pretty strong position, as you can see. However, the Confederates
eventually compromise this position by totally encircling
it and forcing the Union soldiers to withdraw...

Day

2

Tour

3

The Wheatfield

One
of the fiercest fights of the war leaves 6,000 dead and
wounded among the wheat...This fight in The Wheatfield lasts
about two-and-a-half hours, so there is some fighting in
the Peach Orchard while this fight is going on, as well.
This field changes hands unbelievably six different times
that afternoon. Each side is trying to establish a defensive
position...

Day

2

Tour

4

The Peach Orchard

Barksdale’s
confederates smash into the exposed union line...the in-echelon attack by the Confederates
continues, and William Barksdale’s brigade then advances.
Barksdale advances the 600 yards at double-quick, taking
only minutes to get from that tree line to where we stand
right now. In fact, he has 1,800 men moving at a fast pace
on a 300 yard front, and it is his luck to catch the Union
position at its weakest point, from the intersection of
this road (the Millerstown/Wheatfield Road and the Emmitsburg
Road) to those buildings on your right (the Scherfy farm
complex). Barksdale breaks the Union position there..

Day

2

Tour

5

Emmitsburg Road Ridge

Confederates
momentarily breach union line on cemetery ridge...Coming down the Emmitsburg Road
is a portion of Barksdale’s Brigade, which has broken
the Union position at The Peach Orchard. Not only do the
Confederates push through the gap that they create, but
they also try to expand the gap laterally, with the help
of an Alabama brigade on their left flank under the command
of Brigadier General Cadmus Wilcox. Cadmus Wilcox’s
brigade advances from the west and goes right through that
farmhouse (the Klingle farm). Their advance comes through
there, with Barksdale’s Brigade to their right (closer
to the Round Tops). This is the gap the Confederates create—almost
a quarter of a mile here—as they drive the Union soldiers
back through the woods to our front. Those woods (the Trostle
Wood Lot) were here at the time of the battle, but they
were a lot thinner than they are today. That’s pretty
much where the Confederate advance stalls, to some extent...

Day

2

Tour

6

Culp’s Hill

Desperate
evening attack against Union right flank foiled by breastworks...In the afternoon of July 2nd, there
will be approximately 5,000 Confederates attacking this
hill. Earlier in the day, however, the Union commander at
Gettysburg, George Gordon Meade, is very worried that Robert
E. Lee is going to attack him on this hill. Meade therefore
places 10,000 Union soldiers on top of this hill—the
entire Union 12th Corps under the command of a major general
by the name of Henry Slocum. Of course, you’d say
to yourself, if 5,000 Confederates attack uphill toward
10,000 Union soldiers, then the Confederates simply won’t
have a very good chance of success on this hill—and
you’d be right.However, something very unusual happens
here that gives the Confederates a much better opportunity...

Day

2

Tour

7

East Cemetery Hill

Early
morning Union attack is longest sustained action at Gettysburg...We’re on Cemetery Hill, the
rallying point of the Union soldier on the evening of July
1st. It is also the site of a Confederate attack on the
evening of July 2nd. To your right is Culp’s Hill.
That attack has been going on for a number of hours before
this attack begins. In fact, the Confederates attack this
position literally in total darkness, which is a rarity
in the American Civil War. You generally do not attack or
defend at night...

-Tours
are-recorded on
the Battlefield

Gary Kross,
author and businessman, is one of the most popular
Licensed Battlefield Guides at the Gettysburg National
Battlefield Park. A member of the advisory board of
Blue & Gray magazine, he published special editions
of that magazine in 1988, 1995, 1996 and 1997 on the
Battle of Gettysburg. His vivid battlefield tours
provide a level of dramatic realism to Virtual Gettysburg.

Use our searchable monument
database to view images of your favorite monuments on
the Gettysburg Battlefield. Choose from hundreds of
historic photographs.

Download a free PDF file
of your favorite Virtual Gettysburg Poster. The first
11x17 poster displays panoramas from the 21 battlefield
tours, and the second displays the Gettysburg Address
and a large panorama of the Soldiers National Cemetery
at Gettysurg.